Beyond having obvious pragmatic value, the digital documents we are currently creating are the first generation of a radically new form of record-keeping. As such, they are likely to be viewed by our descendants as valuable artifacts from the dawn of the information age. Yet we are in imminent danger of losing them even as we create them. We must invest careful thought and significant effort if we are to preserve these documents for the future. If we are unwilling to make this investment, we risk substantial practical loss, as well as the condemnation of our progeny for thoughtlessly consigning to oblivion a unique historical legacy.

"The digital medium is replacing paper in a dramatic record-keeping revolution. But such documents may be lost unless we act now"